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Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example
Published on: October 8, 2014
Transcriptional and post-translational regulation of aquaporins in plants
Chao Yang1,2,3, Milca Banda Medison4,5, Yuping Li4,5
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China. chaoyang@scbg.ac.cn.
Abstract:
Aquaporins (AQPs) are channel proteins belonging to the major intrinsic protein (MIP) superfamily that mediate the transport of water and other small uncharged molecules across biological membranes. They play essential roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis during plant growth and environmental adaptation. Studies on the molecular regulation of AQP expression and post-translational modification have unveiled an exquisite panorama. The expression of AQP genes is dynamically regulated in response to external and internal signals. Stress- and development-responsive transcription factors (TFs) from AP2/ERF, MYB, NAC, and WRKY families, govern the transcriptional reprogramming in response to drought, salinity stress and/or developmental cues. Besides, post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as residue-specific phosphorylation by kinases (e.g., CPKs, SnRK2s) and ubiquitination by E3 ligases (e.g., AtRma1, OsHIR1), precisely modulate AQP activity and/or stability. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation and PTM-driven fine-tuning of AQPs, emphasizing their important roles in optimizing plant growth resilience under fluctuating environmental conditions.
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Transcription
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...

